Storage battery.



To' aZZ whom t may concern:

`assassin. i

Be it known that v-I,\ED\;VARD

citizen of the=v United' States,"=-residing at Indianapolis, VMarion county; andState 4of Indiana,- have inventedv andl discovered fcer- I .tainfnew and useful Improvements in Storlfplat'e; 'to equalize theldistribntionf of the 4gases generated; to prevent 'the' burning outV age-Batteries* of which the following-is a specification. l My invention 'relates to storage batteries. The objects 'oit'. the invention areto `provide means to equalize-'the distribution of Y `Sironaer. BATTERY. Y

l Specification yof Lettersl'fat'ent; .V

' Application meenemen 10,1917. vfserialNo; 153,967.

ystituting a connector carrier' andY also a support for the platesv and which member-const itutes the 'essential jnovel feature of -my finvye'ntion.- This member is made of rubber or fiber or other 'suitableinsulating material'. It i is formed with any Vsuitable-.cross (section adapted to providesymmetrically disposed surfaces forthe attaclnnent ofv opposite connectors ofthe' same polarity. -In'thev pan' the lines of force of the current through the *battery elements; toV obtain such distribution in'shorter curvesithan'i's possible with the usualconstruction; to lessen vthe internal resistance; to render itrz possible t'o employ a smaller number of elements than usual in .a battery of the same capacity; to decrease ticular form-1 of the core here shown? the same is rectangularv in general voutline ywith recesses 9 and 10 "formed therein respectively 'at angles of 90"; i' The recesses!) are opposite one'another' and lare adapted to receive lon'gi .Y

tud-inal connector -strips'l 11,*whichy constitute the connectorsfor theepositivehplates,

"while the-'recesses'lO receive the longitudi- -nal negative connector strips 12.44 [These Athe heat produced'by thelcurrent; and -tow` i adapted'fto Inakefcontact with terminal lugs also equalize the temperature throughout the of lthe platesyto lprevent buckling ofthe I plates underlexcessive charges orbecause of lliformedV on the central port-ion ofthe 'grid 'stripsare preferably ofleadzand'they fare* lof theplate and eXtending-intothe recesses.` These strips are respectively'connected'with the positive 'and negative plates at the ends f otherconditions; 'and to provide means for f.

accomplishing the foregoing ends which j "shall be capable of more ei'ectively support,- y ing the plates than the present construction rlll/'ith' the above robjects and othersin view,

lmy invention embodiedjin preferableiorm in'theconstruction and arrangement hereof the cell.. vSo far-'as-the broad idea ofthe terminals-locatedwithin theebo'rder of thc p platefis concerned," of courseconnector means other than 4the longitudinal strips might be employed'in connection therewith.v

f The lead llugs'l notronlyj serve as meansoi" inafter describedA and illustrated' inthe accompanying` drawings.

In these, drawlngs, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section 'through a battery cell vshowing one of the plates and lthe* connector; Fig; 2, a section at right angles to Fig. l, and Figl, a detail end perspective of the connectorlca'rrying core. f

yReferringto the drawings, 1 constitutes an end plate of the set ofpositive plates andwh-ichis Jprovided with ain exterior'terminal connecting'lug 2 of theusual construction, adapted to receive thet terminal stud member 3. I Vt indicates the en d platefof the negative 'serieswhichis providedwithV a terminal lug 5 of theusual construct1on. l The intermediate positiveplates are indicated by.` thenumeral 6: and intermediate negative plates by 7. vThesev plates are un-f "electricalV- 'connection'y kwith thev connector -stripsbut also y as locking means to. intert with the irregular contour of -thecore'so 'as to efectivelyfretainithe plates on the core in.

alined position. f

Although the invention is not limited'in scope 'or practical applicationto the'useof a pluralityof connector strips for each? set of plates,l such varrangement is preferable# vand highly advantageous7 since` it enables the terminalsor points of circuit connection,

to be positioned.'equidistantly romthe Acenter to'thereby aid inreiecting the equal. distribution of the lines of force to all parts fofV the plate-which is the primary object of the l invention.V '.*The use kof. the. pair vof connector Astrips alsoyin cooperation withthe coreor Avrsupporting member', enablesthe necessary 1 :insulation-between the positive vand nega- 'tiveyconnectors and terminals to 4be effectively obtained. f

provided withthe usual'erterior terminal -In order 'to-lessen the angularity ofthe connecting and attaching lugs, andthey arev supported centrally thereof ona core "8: conthe core'are preferably rounded to permit of.

linesl offlow of the current thecorne'rs of ative plates arranged side by side. and having the terminals thereof entirely within-the. borders of the plates'and adjacent the centers a corresponding formation of the contacting part of the plate grid. The recesses 9 and 10 are preferably dovetailcdor similarly narrowed at their outer ends to aiford more secure lockingmeans and enablesliallower recesses to be employed. l Y

The plates are symmetrical in form and the same will connect with the upper and lower connector stripson the core while the negative plates are turned at right 'angles4 to the positive plates so Vthat the contact lugs thereof will engage with the connector strips which are at right angles to the positive connecting strips.

Between the adjacent positive and negative plates are placed separators l-.which may be of'any usual insulating material and vany desired form.

It will be seen that by the above construction, the battery elements -are sup- Vported at their centers andthat the elec- 25- trical terminal connections are also adj acent their centers whereby the currentv enters the plate near the center during charg- 'ing and enters the borders during discharging and is distributed lfrom lsaid points equally to all parts of the'plate. rlhe effect of thisl substantially ,radial traverse of the current is to decrease the length'of the lines of flow, to reduce the angularity of the currents, to reduce inequalities Vin potential, and, as a result of such functions, to prevent overheating and buckling of the plate, to prevent the undue generation of gas at the bottom of the cell and to enable the battery to bev charged vwith currents of greater amperage without danger of: prorducing such buckling.'V AGwingto the lfact that the central portion of a batteryplate "is dead or substantially inactive, and the insulatingsupport is confined to this area,

the entire remaining and active partfof the plate is fully utilized, which isnot the case .when the connections are madeat the top f of the plates. Hencel a smallernumber of plates may be employed than is' usual to obtain a cell o-rk battery of :the same capacity. The central support of 'the plates also tends to aid mechanically in' maintaining the form of the elements.

Having thus described my i invention,

what .claim is:

1. A storage battery having elements comprising .alternate positive and negative plates, side by vside,and elementterminals entirely within the borders `of the elements.

2. ln va storage battery, positive and negof the latter to .effect distribution of. the cur- Y rent through the elements fromthe centers thereof, and to receive the current entering the elements and thus direct the same equally from all surrounding portions of the elements to `the centers.

A storage battery plate having a plurality of current receiving terminals therelof within the borders of the plate to dispreterably square so that the positive plates when lplaced inposition on the'core-will have their terminal lugs so positioned that tribute the current Jfrom the inner part of the plate outwardly.

.the Vcenter thereof and a connector member extending through the plates and havingl connection with saidf terminal members. 6. 'A storage battery havingplates centrally apertured, and having ayterminal'lug projecting from each plate inwardly toward the center -in the plane of the plate,-fpositive and negative connector members extending through said apertures and connecting with Alugs 'of the respectiyefpositive andi negative. plates, and insulating means-'iin said -Y apertures separating said connector members. f w 1 Y 7, A storage battery having'a supporting memberextending throughr the, bodies of the negative and positive elements;thereof.

8. lua' storage battery, in combination with positive and negative batteryelements comprising plates y arranged side by side, a common supporting member forY said plates .consisting oil" af core of non-conductingma- 'terial rextending* through the fplates substantially centrallythereof-and on which the latter are supported, and a plurality of connector strips for each 'set of plates" carried by said core and.xtendinglongitudi-- nally of the cell, eachplate of `each set having a plurality of terminals to connect Vwith said connector strips.

9. In a storage battery, incombination with battery elements, a corefoflnon-conducting material extending through'v the said 'elements vcentrally thereof and on which thesame are supportedand connecl tor strips carried by said coreand extending longitudinally of the battery.` Y 10. In a storage battery,. incombination with battery plates, a core ol'non-conducting material extending substantially centrally through said platesl and on which' the latter are mounted, connector strips for-the L plates of one polarity mounted in-opposite sides of said core and extending longitudinally thereof and connector stripsy for the plates of opposite polarity'mounted onfsaid core at substantially right` angles to the 1 strips ofthe other polarity. g Y

'11, In a storage battery, in combination with battery plates, acorefofynonconducting material extending through 1 saidplates the plates of one polarity mounted in oppocesses to connect With said strips.

centrally thereof and having recesses form- In Witnessv whereof, I have hereunto set ed therein, a pair of connector strips forf county, Indiana, this 7th day of March, A. site recesses, and a pair of connector 4strips D; nineteen hundred and seventeen. ,y of opposite polarity mounted in the other EDWARD E. STOUT. [1.. s] opposite recesses, said plates having terlVitnesses: .e n v minal contact lugs adapted to enter lsaid re- A. C. RICE,

H. P. DOOLITTLE.

five cents each,rby add1essing thev Coninssiomuf of Patents.

Copies @i this patent may be obtained for i Washington, D. C.

my Ahand Y`and seal at Indianapolis, Marien 10 i 

